Luffy had to hope that they reached Shabaody soon. With the addition of Verde, Viper and I-Pin (thankfully only one was sticking around and Daemon was incorporeal most of the time) the limits of the Merry were stretching dangerously thin. As it was, Sanji accepted the challenge of keeping everyone fed with glee.
Though he accepted the quiet help of Luffy and Takeshi doing most of the prep work for him and I-Pin's limited ability to cook...even if she had acquired Fon's taste for high spice content.
Luffy would admit, she never saw the odd attraction between Robin and Daemon happening. The Cloud and the ghostly Mist had hit it off within hours the second Robin found out Daemon remembered several centuries worth of history. Better yet, with a little assistance from Luffy who allowed him to use her own limited Mist flames, he could project it for Robin to enjoy from his point of view.
Daemon liked having an appreciative audience, and Robin enjoyed his old school charm that came from being born to nobility and the fact he had lived through so much history and possessed enough people to pick up their memories of important events.
Luffy wished the odd pair the best of luck, especially once Daemon found a proper body to steal that wouldn't wear out. At least now she wasn't the only one with a boyfriend, even if the attraction had yet to become obvious.
She found it pretty telling Robin had quietly taken to wearing the necklace containing Daemon's ghost around her neck, even if he was still connected to Luffy. She really didn't need a ghost watching her nights with Zoro, even if she was very, very glad Viper showed her how to make the room soundproof.
Zoro definitely appreciated it, since it meant Luffy didn't have to hold back her voice.
"I'm rather curious as to why you've put so much emphasis on building an information network," said Robin.
She was sitting at a table with Viper, while Daemon hovered around nearby.
"Information is power, particularly accurate intel that can be delivered quickly to the front lines. Tell me, do you know why the World Government has largely been successful at staying the major powers on the seas despite the prevelance of pirates? And I don't mean because of it's numbers," said Viper.
"Not particularly. I would assume it has something to do with the information on Pluton," said Robin bitterly.
Viper's smile was thin and had no warmth.
"It's because they're able to quickly mobilize their stronger powers and communicate quickly with each other. They are able to share information quickly, accurately and to the right areas in order to be effective at curtailing any attempts to seize control. Which is why the Revolutionary Army has been making them a lot more nervous than they would openly admit... Sabo's network is starting to reach levels that could rival theirs, even if they do have the 'general public' on their side."
Robin took a pull of her drink.
"Sounds fascinating."
"Do you want to know why Pluton makes them so nervous? Why they want you dead so badly simply for being able to read a dead language?" said Viper.
Seeing she had Robin's full attention, Viper smirked.
"Do you know how easy it is for a word to get misspelled, particularly if the source has been altered or mangled in any way?"
Robin gave the miser a flat look. She was an archeologist... running into that problem was almost a given.
"Considering what Luffy told me about Gold Roger and the fact that she found a compartment that had detailed instructions on how to awaken and train Earth flames and their set, I believe Pluton is simply a code word for Dying Will Flames."
"Isn't that the same thing Luffy and Daemon have been training us to use?" blinked Robin.
Viper smirked...it was so nice working with someone who had an active brain and used it properly.
"Did you know in the old days, before the world was reshaped by the melting glaciers, that 'Pluto' was known as a god who ruled the underworld?"
Luffy, who had walked in on that, paused and gave Viper and incredulous look.
"Wait, are you telling me some idiot deliberately misspelled the Roman god of the underworld in an attempt to hide what they were actually talking about? And that they used the Primo's so-called cipher on purpose?"
"From the details you've given and what I've found while researching into the topic, I'm almost certain that Pluton is a codeword for Flames. I wouldn't be surprised if That Man was behind it, shortly before he either died or went into hiding. Particularly when you take into account who is actually in charge of Impel Down...but we knew it by another name."
Luffy stopped, and stared at Viper in absolute shock.
"No. There is no way Impel Down is actually..."
"Imagine my shock when I got a photograph of one of the permanent guards of the place...it certainly explains why there have been no known escape attempts."
"Oh gods... You have got to be kidding me! Impel Down is actually the Vindicare?!" said Luffy in exasperation.
"What's going on?" asked Lambo.
"Impel Down is actually Vindicare, which means Bermuda and the others are still around too. Not surprising, considering what they are, but still!" said Luffy in complaint.
"Okay, what are you guys talking about and what could possibly make someone as mellow as Luffy that exasperated?" asked Nami.
"I know who runs Impel Down. I bet anything they're going to pay a lot of attention to us once they find out Daemon has decided to join our crew. On an unrelated note, I'm going to have to steal the kitchen for a while once they notice he's out again Sanji," said Luffy tiredly.
Lambo, Takeshi, Fuuta and I-Pin all snorted at that.
"I forgot Bermuda kept coming to mooch off the brownies you made, nee-san," said Lambo snickering.
"I remember Jaeger swiping all the special chocolates you had in stock!" laughed I-Pin.
"Yeah, those guys were addicted to your baked treats," laughed Takeshi.
Fuuta almost went to rank Luffy's baking skills. But he highly doubted that she would have let something like that slip.
Especially now that she knew she could convert the Vindice to her side all over again by bribing them with her Sky-saturated food.
The reunion between Belphegor and Viper was short, sweet and entirely what Luffy would have expected of the two of them.
It also gave the group time to come up with a plan of attack in regards to Teach and the limited information Luffy remembered of his crew.
To that end, Viper and Verde were sent on ahead with a snail. If anyone recognized them it would immediately be assumed she was there for a bounty with Verde as her back-up.
Viper was armed with all the 'confirmed' prisoners of Impel Down who's death had never been publicized. Most of the dangerous ones anyway.
Luffy couldn't remember the specifics of who was on Blackbeard's crew, but she did remember that he had made a deal to free some of the prisoners of Impel Down to serve under him.
It was a good thing she did, because Viper positively ID'd several former prisoners on Jaya as well as Teach.
However thanks to Observation Haki, Ace couldn't exactly go in and deal with the bastard. Neither could Bel or Fran.
Which left Luffy's group, since Teach didn't know they were allied with Ace since he didn't trust the traitor at all. He only ever referred to Luffy as his 'tomboy sister', and all the Wanted Posters of Luffy until now would make everyone believe Monkey D. Luffy was a boy.
Luffy abused her Sky flames to make her in 'harmony' with her surroundings, thus hiding the fact she had active Haki.
It didn't take much to locate Teach...he was even more disgusting up close than in the books.
She waited for his guard to be lowered because of her gender...before she sensed Ace come within range of her sensory technique.
Then she sent Teach flying out the bar and into the waiting fist of Ace.
Dead silence.
At least until Teach realized that Ace had found him and not in a place of his choosing.
Between Ace and Luffy, who kept Teach pinned down, and the Straw Hats who were keeping Teach's so-called crew from interferring, things weren't looking good for Teach at all.
Especially since Daemon slipped a seastone into the man's boot, cutting his new found powers off and making him weak as a dog.
"You bastard. Where's your sense of honor as a pirate?" demanded Teach. He was not happy that his schemes were crashing down around him.
"That's rich, coming from you. You almost killed a member of the Whitebeard's over a Devil Fruit and you've been making side deals with the damn Marines for years now," snarled Luffy.
She remembered vividly how Ace died in the series. Blackbeard had weakened him enough for the Marines to capture him, and the second they found out who's son Ace was his execution became their highest priority.
Complete silence and condemnation.
"He's working with the Marines?" said Ace in disgust.
"How else do you explain them releasing prisoners from Impel Down to act as his crew?" said Luffy.
Viper had already informed her which pirates used to be prisoners and Luffy named each of them. Those with Devil fruit powers had a seastone shoved down their throats, making them weak enough to take out. The others had been beaten up too badly to really put up a proper fight.
It wouldn't take much to direct the pirates around them to the old wanted posters and to look up where those men had been before they realized Luffy was telling the truth.
Luffy pounded her right fist into her left hand.
"Besides... this is the perfect way to get on the good side of Whitebeard enough that he'd be willing to ally himself with us later," said Luffy cheerfully.
That wasn't why she was doing it, but it would give a lot of the more idiotic pirates from getting ideas.
Teach was boned and he had no idea how badly.
Ace felt a particular amount of satisfaction killing Teach. Viper felt no little amount of glee at the amount of money she was going to get turning in the bounties for a little bit of work...with a small cut going to her daughter of course.
Luffy felt relief knowing Teach was dead and thus couldn't betray Ace to the Marines. It meant they had a bit of leeway when it came to canon events.
Even if it meant parting with Ace and the others until they managed to cross paths again, it was soooo worth it after killing Teach and his band of psychos.
On an unrelated note Nami pretty much forgave her mother for leaving her with Bellemere after Viper showed her daughter how to create massive 'mist pockets' to hold obscene amounts of gold until they could turn it into something that wasn't nearly as bulky and still as valuable.
Considering they were heading to Skypiea next, that was a good thing as Luffy remembered vividly that there was a large amount of gold up there and there was no way they would have been able to carry even a fraction of it otherwise.
She did feel somewhat sorry for the salvager.
"You're telling me the other half of Jaya got hit with the Knockback Stream into the sky?!"
"You have a better explanation for what happened that fits the general area?" she deadpanned. "One day it was here, the next it disappeared without a trace, leaving clear evidence something happened. If it can knock up massive ships, then who's to say part of the island didn't get hit by the full brunt of the stream?"
He rubbed his beard.
"That...makes a terrifying amount of sense and is plausible enough that people might actually believe it."
"If nothing else I could easily call Shanks or Gramps to have them confirm there is an island up in the sky. Honestly, this is the Grand Line...is it that hard to believe one might exist considering the number of strange tales that exist? Anyone who claims it's a fairy tale is just a loser who's too lazy to find out if it's true," said Luffy flatly.
Seeing the smile on his face, Luffy grinned.
"Tell you what. When we get up there I'm going to make a point to ring that bell that your ancestor saw just to prove I'm telling the truth."
"...I'll hold you up to that."